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Friday is shaping up to be a full day as we talk about yesterday’s trip, and specifically, two young lot attendants. We also talk about Porsche’s new partnership with new startup incubator, Up.Labs, Saturn’s ‘crazy’ idea from 20 years ago, and EV standards being shaped by the US. 

• Porsche partners with UPlabs to fund several Auto related startups announced at UpSummit in Bentonville, Ark
  • Partnership will help seed up to 6 startups in the mobility sector from digital retail to supply chain transparency
  • Porsche will have the option to acquire the startups after three years and will have a minority stake in the companies
• UpLabs launched by UpPartners, an investment firm focused on transportation, specifically, “technologies that help move people and goods cleaner, faster, safer, and at lower-cost - on the ground, in the air, on the sea, and in space”
• The UpSummit is the company’s  an invitation-only annual gathering in Bentonville hosted by partnersTom and Steuart Walton, and Ross Perot Jr.
• Take Away: Don’t let the OEMs have all the fun, Dealers can do (and are doing) similar things. (Vincue, Webbuy, Streamline, ASOTU etc)
• Throwback to GM brand Saturn’s uniquely crazy idea over 20 years ago (Baltimore Sun)
  • Submitted by reader/troublemaker Eric Trytko via LinkedIn DM
    • ”Here is one you can have some fun with. This article is from 1991 when Saturn began selling cars and their philosophy. It sounds like SPOC and Single Pricing!  Hey what's really old is new again!”
  • “When Ed Sprigman lost his job as a pilot with Eastern Airlines, he decided to give automobile sales a try. But his brief experience at one Baltimore dealership had him rethinking his career choice.”
  • There is so much in this article that will make your eyebrows raise, you have to read it
  • Take Away: It’s not about acquiring more knowledge, it’s about executing on the knowledge you already have. THANKS Eric!
• US Government to set standards for charging project
  • “The rules would require government-funded EV charging stations use DC Fast Chargers and have at least four ports capable of simultaneously charging four EVs and each must be at or above 150 kW. It would also bar charging stations from requiring a memberships to use them.”
  • 2030 goal of 50% of vehicles sold to be hybrid or electric
  • Uptime set to 97% for all charging stations
  • Other standards include payment types, charging speed, and pricing
  • Take Away: Building a new store? Become a hub for charging and make sure you are a destination people WANT to go to.

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Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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